Whether you use an alpha, numeric or Roman numeral method to outline information, outlining a paragraph involves the same method as outlining larger texts. The first thing to look for in a paragraph is a topic sentence. Usually found at the beginning of a paragraph, topic sentences give insight into what the entire paragraph will discuss. Sometimes topic sentences can be a little harder to find, and often students need to infer what the author intended. First, have students read the entire paragraph for the general meaning or gist. Ask them what the paragraph is trying to convey. If the topic sentence isn’t overtly stated, students will have to infer one from the context clues and surrounding facts. Teaching students how to make inferences will help them to outline paragraphs where the topic sentence isn’t clearly stated.
The main idea is the subject of the paragraph. This is the first thing students should write down in their outlines. The process of identifying the topic sentence and discovering the main idea helps to clarify thinking and complete the rest of the outlining process. The best way to teach students how to identify the main idea in a paragraph is to model it yourself. Read the paragraph aloud and let them hear your thought process as you figure out what the main idea is. For example, in an article about endangered species, the main idea may be that the government needs to implement better initiatives to protect endangered species. The author might explicitly state the main idea in a headline, or students may need to infer it from reading the entire article.
Once you’ve identified the main idea, comb through the rest of the paragraph for details that support the main idea. Have students volunteer to list the supporting details in the paragraph that support the main idea. Write their responses down in outline form on the board or projector. Make sure to list them under the main idea with short descriptions of each. For instance, in the example about endangered species, details that state that the government's current programs are not effective or are too few should be listed on the outline. Statistics, facts and evidence that support the main idea are great details that students should include on their outline.
If the paragraph includes important statistics or facts that are important to remember later, jot these down on the outline as well. Let students know that it’s better to have a more robust outline if they will be using it to study or prepare a presentation later on. Some facts are more important than others. For example, while it is a fact that the Acancocha Water Frog eats grasshoppers and flies, a more pertinent fact would be why the Acancocha Water Frog's is important to the Earth's ecosystem. Pertinent facts relate to and support the text's main idea-- in this case that the government should do more to protect endangered species.
It is important to note any concluding arguments or statements made in the paragraph and include those in your sample outline as well. You can also have students write any clarifying statements that they may have about the subject here. Once you have outlined one or two paragraphs on the board or projector, have students continue with this pattern until they have completely outlined all the paragraphs in the text they are reading.